Reactionaries in Lebanon Focus on Barbie Film

Despite being long considered a relatively liberal outpost in a conservative part of the world, Out Magazine reports that the Lebanon has seen homophobic and reactionary rhetoric grow in recent years.  Now the Culture Minister has referred the multi-million pound movie Barbie to the country's Censorship Committee, who may well decide to bar the film in the country.  The Culture Minister, who of course, has watched the movie himself to ensure that it is outrageous fulminated that it "contradicts issues of faith and morality", mainly because of references to homosexuality and transgender identity within it.  Nevertheless, Out Magazine notes that the movie is not being dented particularly by reactionary countries imposing bans.   "Even in its fourth week it’s still leading the box office and has already topped $1 billion worldwide and has led to Mattel rolling out an entire cinematic universe built around their toys", the magazine notes.